Disclosed herein is a method of operating an imaging system which comprises (A) an image sensor comprising (a) a top surface, (b) M physically separate active areas on the top surface, and (c) a dead zone on the top surface and between the M active areas, and (B) a radiation source system which comprises an electron bombardment target, the method comprising: for i=1, . . . , N, sequentially causing emission of X-ray photons (i) from a radiation position (i) by causing electrons to bombard a target surface of the electron bombardment target at the radiation position (i); and for i=1, . . . , N, in response to the emission of the X-ray photons (i), capturing M images (i) of portions (i) of a same object, respectively in the M active areas, resulting in M×N images, wherein each point of the object is captured in at least one image of the M×N images.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging system, comprising: an image sensor which comprises (a) a top surface, (b) M active areas on the top surface, M being an integer greater than 0, and (c) a dead zone on the top surface and between the M active areas such that no one active area of the M active areas is in direct physical contact with another active area of the M active areas; and a radiation source system, which comprises an electron gun and an electron bombardment target, wherein, for i=1, . . . , N, N being an integer greater than 1, the radiation source system is configured to cause emission of X-ray photons (i) from a radiation position (i) by causing electrons from the electron gun to bombard a target surface of the electron bombardment target at the radiation position (i), wherein for i=1, . . . , N, in response to the emission of the X-ray photons (i) from the radiation position (i), the image sensor is configured to capture M images (i) of portions (i) of a same object, respectively in the M active areas, resulting in M×N images, and wherein each point of the object is captured in at least one image of the M×N images.
2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electron bombardment target has a shape of a plate.
3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electron bombardment target is configured to rotate while the radiation positions (i), i=1, . . . , N remain on target surfaces of the electron bombardment target.
4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electron bombardment target is configured to tilt, translate, or both tilt and translate.
5. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source system is configured to deflect an electron beam from the electron gun.
6. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electron bombardment target comprises N target blocks, and wherein for i=1, . . . , N, the radiation position (i) is on a target surface of a target block (i) of the N target blocks.
7. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electron bombardment target comprises tungsten.
8. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electron gun is configured to generate an electron beam and then deflect the electron beam.
9. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum tube in which the radiation source system resides.
10. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a direct current (DC) voltage source configured to cause a voltage drop from the electron bombardment target to the electron gun.
11. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein M is 1 and N is 2.
12. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the radiation positions (i), i=1, . . . , N are on a plane parallel to the top surface.
13. A method of operating an imaging system which comprises (A) an image sensor comprising (a) a top surface, (b) M active areas on the top surface, M being an integer greater than 0, and (c) a dead zone on the top surface and between the M active areas such that no one active area of the M active areas is in direct physical contact with another active area of the M active areas, and (B) a radiation source system which comprises an electron bombardment target, the method comprising: for i=1, . . . , N, N being an integer greater than 1, sequentially causing emission of X-ray photons (i) from a radiation position (i) by causing electrons to bombard a target surface of the electron bombardment target at the radiation position (i); and for i=1, . . . , N, in response to the emission of the X-ray photons (i) from the radiation position (i), capturing M images (i) of portions (i) of a same object, respectively in the M active areas, resulting in M×N images, wherein each point of the object is captured in at least one image of the M×N images.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said causing emission of the X-ray photons (i) from the radiation position (i) comprises holding the electron bombardment target stationary with respect to the image sensor such that the radiation positions (i), i=1, . . . , N are on the target surfaces of the electron bombardment target.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the electron bombardment target has a shape of a plate.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the electron bombardment target comprises N target blocks, and wherein for i=1, . . . , N, the radiation position (i) is on a target surface of a target block (i) of the N target blocks.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein said causing emission of the X-ray photons (i) from the radiation position (i) comprises rotating the electron bombardment target.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the electron bombardment target has a shape of a plate.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein said causing emission of the X-ray photons (i) from the radiation position (i) comprises tilting, translating, or both tilting and translating the electron bombardment target.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein the radiation source system further comprises an electron gun configured to generate an electron beam, and wherein said causing emission of the X-ray photons (i) from the radiation position (i) comprises deflecting the electron beam.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the electron gun and P radiation positions of the radiation positions (i), i=1, . . . , N are on a straight line, and wherein P is an integer greater than 1 and not greater than N.
22. The method of claim 13, further comprising stitching the M×N images to form an image of the object.
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July 7, 2022
January 14, 2025
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